How to shop homeowners insurance
You have two main options for shopping for homeowners insurance:
You can call to speak with a local independent agent, who can provide you quotes from multiple different companies in your area.
You can get homeowners insurance quotes online through an insurance marketplace like Policygenius that works with a mix of companies in every state and ZIP code.
The advantage to getting home insurance quotes online with a company like Policygenius is that we can provide you an estimate with minimal information (just provide the address of the insured location, a few broad details about the structure itself, and personal details like your date of birth) and we’ll run your quotes.
How to compare home insurance quotes
Comparing home insurance quotes is the best way to find the right policy for your needs while saving hundreds of dollars per year in the process. But saving money on home insurance isn’t just about finding the cheapest quote — it’s about finding the best price on the coverage you need.
Here’s a step-by-step look at how to compare home insurance quotes:
1. Decide how to get homeowners insurance quotes
First up, decide if you want to use a local independent agent or an insurance marketplace like Policygenius. If you prefer sitting down and talking to someone in person, then finding a local agent is probably your best bet.
But if speed and ease are your biggest priorities, then we recommend getting home insurance quotes through our online marketplace at Policygenius. You can click the Get free quotes button anywhere on this page to get started.
2. Consider your coverage needs
Thanks to advances in technology and our ability to collect and analyze tens of thousands of data points in seconds, most insurance providers now provide fairly accurate and similar coverage estimates. But to make sure your quotes are based on your actual home insurance coverage needs, consider getting your own estimates for the following:
The cost to rebuild your home: Your dwelling coverage amount should be equal to your home’s replacement cost, which is the amount it would cost to rebuild your home from the ground up if it were destroyed. If you live in an area prone to natural disasters or storms, you may want to consider a company that offers extended replacement cost or guaranteed replacement cost coverage.
The cost to replace your personal belongings: Your personal property coverage limit should be high enough to cover the total value of your belongings, which means your furniture, computers, small appliances. Additionally, if you’d like your insurance to reimburse you for personal property damage or theft without having depreciation deducted from your payout, you may want to consider a company with replacement cost contents coverage.
The combined value of your assets: Your liability coverage limit should be high enough to cover the total value of your assets, such as the value of your home, car, possessions, liquid assets, and anything else of yours that holds value.
Finally, compare the coverage add-ons (also called endorsements) that each insurer offers to make sure you have all of the protection you need. Examples of coverage endorsements include water backup, equipment breakdown, and scheduled personal property coverage.
When choosing your coverages and limits, don't simply rely on the limits you had in your old policy. That's because rising construction costs and labor shortages have caused the cost to rebuild homes to increase over the last few years. And relying on policy limits from last year could mean your home is underinsured.
According to our Policygenius Home Insurance & Inflation Shopping Survey, more than half of homeowners (56%) didn't review their home insurance policy in the last year to see how much coverage they had. And just 9% increased their home’s coverage limit in the last year to account for these rising construction costs and inflation.
What does this mean for you? Make sure you ask your Policygenius home insurance agent what coverages they recommend to ensure your home is fully protected, even if home rebuild costs continue to rise.
3. Compare coverage and price estimates
While price is an important consideration when comparing home insurance policies, it’s especially vital to check how much coverage your quoted rate is based on. While every company has its own method for calculating coverage amounts, getting quotes with similar levels of coverage will make for a more accurate comparison.
To give you an idea of how much insurance rates can vary by coverage amounts, here’s the average annual premium for five different levels of dwelling coverage.
Dwelling coverage level | Average annual premium |
$100,000 | $946 |
$200,000 | $1,442 |
$300,000 | $1,754 |
$400,000 | $2,481 |
$500,000 | $3,066 |
4. Compare discounts and deductible options
The rate you’re quoted isn't necessarily what you'll end up paying. In fact, insurance companies generally won’t factor in discounts until they’ve quoted you a final premium. For this reason, you should consider each company’s list of available discounts in addition to quoted premiums.
Another factor that impacts your premiums is your home insurance deductible amount, which is the amount you’re responsible for paying out of pocket on each claim. The higher your deductible, the cheaper your premiums will be — and vice versa. If you’re not at risk for filing claims, you may want to consider a company that offers the highest deductible policy option.
5. Compare homeowners insurance companies
Your home insurance policy is only as good as the company responsible for paying out the claims. That’s why, along with price and coverage options, you’ll also want to consider the company’s customer service, financial strength ratings, and other factors that can impact your experience as a policyholder.
According to our recent nationwide survey of home insurance shoppers, claims satisfaction was the most important factor customers considered when comparing insurance companies. Roughly 25% of homeowners care most about a company’s claims satisfaction scores, followed by the ability to bundle policies (22%), and high customer review scores (15%).
Sample home insurance quote comparison
Here's an example of two quotes you might get for home insurance coverage and how to compare them.
Quotes are used for illustrative purposes only. Actual rates and coverage limits will vary by customer.
Looking at the two fictional quotes above, you can see that while State Farm has higher premiums than Allstate, you only have to pay $500 when you file a standard claim — versus $2,000 with Allstate.
You'll also notice that both State Farm and Allstate have the same coverage limits for your dwelling and personal property. However, State Farm's quote comes with more comprehensive protection in the form of guaranteed replacement cost coverage for your house and replacement cost coverage for your belongings.
Comparing all of these different coverage types and limits can help you determine which quote makes the most sense for your needs and budget.
Compare best home insurance quotes
To help you compare the best home insurance quotes from Policygenius, our team of home insurance experts examined average home insurance rates and discounts, along with additional coverage options available — like flood endorsements and inflation guard protection.
We also factored in customer satisfaction scores with J.D. Power and financial strength ratings with AM Best to give each of the largest home insurance companies by market share an overall Policygenius rating.
When comparing rates in your best home insurance quotes, keep in mind that the average annual cost of home insurance is $1,754 for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage.
Company | Policygenius rating ★★★★★ | J.D. Power score | Average annual premium | |
---|---|---|---|---|
5 out of 5 ★ | 825/100 | $1,406 | ||
4.9 out of 5 ★ | 884/100* | $1,479 | ||
4.8 out of 5 ★ | 829/100 | $1,887 | ||
4.6 out of 5 ★ | 849/100 | $1,756 | ||
4.5 out of 5 ★ | 842/100 | $1,692 | ||
4.5 out of 5 ★ | 827/100 | $1,284 | ||
4.5 out of 5 ★ | 792/100 | $1,845 | ||
4.5 out of 5 ★ | 816/100 | $1,966 | ||
4.5 out of 5 ★ | 801/100 | N/A | ||
4.4 out of 5 ★ | 815/100 | $1,650 | ||
4.4 out of 5 ★ | 794/100 | $1,568 | ||
4.3 out of 5 ★ | 816/100 | $1,879 | ||
4.3 out of 5 ★ | 809/100 | $1,706 | ||
4.3 out of 5 ★ | 809/100 | $1,633 | ||
4.2 out of 5 ★ | 830/100 | $1,339 |
* Based on 2022 sample homeowners insurance quotes for a home with $300,000 in dwelling coverage and a $1,000 deductible ** Based on J.D. Power's latest home insurance customer satisfaction survey released in September 2022 *** USAA isn't officially ranked with J.D. Power due to eligibility
Learn more >> Home insurance reviews methodology
Home insurance company reviews
Our company ratings and home insurance reviews are based on many of the same factors to consider while comparing home insurance quotes, including average rates, coverage options, customer service, and financial ratings. And for a more personalized recommendation, you can refer to our list of the best home insurance companies for a variety of coverage needs and preferences.
Here’s an in-depth look at five top rated companies that offer home insurance quotes through Policygenius.
While our reviews can help familiarize you with each company’s strengths and weaknesses and inform your comparison, the best homeowners for you are based on factors specific to you and your home. At Policygenius, our customers save an average of 30% on homeowners insurance while also securing the best coverage for their needs thanks to our extensive mix of company and policy options.
Compare home insurance rates by state
Along with coverage limits, your home's location has a major impact on your home insurance rates. States with frequent hurricanes, wildfires, and other disasters often have higher average home insurance rates, while states with cooler or more mild weather have the cheapest average premiums.
State | Average monthly premium | Average annual premium | Percentage difference from national average |
$165 | $1,982 | 4% | |
$117 | $1,398 | -26% | |
$147 | $1,762 | -7% | |
$244 | $2,924 | 54% | |
$120 | $1,436 | -24% | |
$206 | $2,472 | 30% | |
$113 | $1,359 | -28% | |
$77 | $928 | -51% | |
$96 | $1,154 | -39% | |
$204 | $2,442 | 29% | |
$163 | $1,956 | 3% | |
$41 | $486 | -74% | |
$113 | $1,352 | -29% | |
$148 | $1,775 | -7% | |
$143 | $1,719 | -9% | |
$143 | $1,714 | -10% | |
$258 | $3,094 | 63% | |
$219 | $2,622 | 38% | |
$209 | $2,507 | 32% | |
$90 | $1,076 | -43% | |
$131 | $1,575 | -17% | |
$107 | $1,285 | -32% | |
$129 | $1,550 | -18% | |
$161 | $1,937 | 2% | |
$221 | $2,655 | 40% | |
$219 | $2,627 | 38% | |
$184 | $2,213 | 17% | |
$312 | $3,741 | 97% | |
$101 | $1,209 | -36% | |
$81 | $967 | -49% | |
$75 | $904 | -52% | |
$141 | $1,686 | -11% | |
$95 | $1,139 | -40% | |
$132 | $1,580 | -17% | |
$158 | $1,890 | 0% | |
$108 | $1,297 | -32% | |
$353 | $4,230 | 123% | |
$75 | $905 | -52% | |
$97 | $1,162 | -39% | |
$113 | $1,358 | -28% | |
$141 | $1,696 | -11% | |
$202 | $2,418 | 27% | |
$187 | $2,242 | 18% | |
$252 | $3,027 | 59% | |
$77 | $923 | -51% | |
$75 | $900 | -53% | |
$111 | $1,329 | -30% | |
$101 | $1,216 | -36% | |
$122 | $1,464 | -23% | |
$98 | $1,177 | -38% | |
$133 | $1,599 | -16% |
The latest research & surveys from Policygenius
What you'll need to get the best home insurance quote
When getting a home insurance quote, have this information on-hand to make the process faster:
The size and age of your home. Insurers will want to know your home's square footage and the year it was built.
Names, relation, and ages of residents. Home insurance liability coverage protects you and family members that live in your home. An insurer may require you to provide names, ages, and your relationship for those who live in the home.
Age and type of roof. Insurers will want to know how old your roof is and what materials it is made out of. If you have a newer roof with updated materials, you may see lower rates.
Your home insurance and claims history. If you previously had insurance on your home, your new insurer may ask you how long you were insured for and if you filed any claims in the past.
Number and breed of pets. Some insurers may exclude coverage for certain dog breeds. You'll need to disclose if you have any pets and what their breed is.
Improvements and renovations. If you recently made home improvements, renovated a part of your house, or built an addition, you'll need to let your insurance company know — as this may affect your home's rebuild value.
Safety devices. You may be able to score a discount if you installed safety devices, like a smart home alarm system. Let your insurer know if your home is equipped with any sort of safety device, including deadbolt locks and fire alarms.
What does homeowners insurance cover?
Here’s a more detailed look at the different coverages included in every homeowners insurance policy purchased through Policygenius and what each protects you against.
Learn more >> What does home insurance cover?
Types of home insurance quotes
There are several different types of homeowners insurance policies, and which one you need will depend on your property and coverage needs. But in most cases, if you own your home and you live there most of the year, your home insurance quotes will likely be based on the following.
HO-3 – Special Form: An HO-3 policy is the most common form of homeowners insurance. It’s designed for standard homes and contains all of the coverages described above: dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, personal liability, and medical expenses coverages.
HO-5 – Comprehensive Form: An HO-5 comprehensive form policy is just what it sounds like — it offers the most complete protection for single-family homes. An HO-5 is nearly identical to the HO-3, but with more comprehensive coverage for personal belongings.
HO-6 – Unit Owners Form: Also called condo insurance, this type of policy is designed for people who own a condominium or live in a co-op. Because condos and co-ops have homeowners insurance associations (HOAs), how much coverage you need will depend on your HOA's master policy.
Learn more >> 8 different types of homeowners insurance
Additional insurance you can get quotes for
Most standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage to your home or belongings that’s caused by earthquakes or floods, but you can purchase additional coverage or compare standalone insurance policies to make sure you're protected.
Flood insurance
Homeowners insurance never includes coverage for damage caused by flooding. The agents at Policygenius can help you compare quotes from private flood insurers or help get you set up with a flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) — a FEMA-backed program.
Earthquake insurance
Homeowners insurance also doesn’t cover earthquake damage. Depending on the insurance company, you may be able to add earthquake coverage to your main policy with a home insurance endorsement, or you may need to purchase a separate standalone earthquake insurance policy. Policygenius can help you compare quotes from insurers that offer earthquake endorsements, or help you purchase a separate policy.
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Average savings of 30% per year on home insurance: Savings are determined by calculating the average difference between the lowest and second lowest home insurance policy estimates provided to shoppers with two or more estimates between 06/01/2020 and 05/18/2021. Potential savings are based on a composite of multiple different contracts and insurers. Not all policies in this calculation are available in all states, and availability may be based on eligibility. Savings may vary by policy amount and location.
Average home insurance cost: Policygenius has analyzed home insurance rates provided by Quadrant Information Services in March 2022 for ZIP codes in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., for a 40-year-old female homeowner with no claim history, good credit, a $1,000 deductible, and the following coverage limits:
Dwelling: $300,000
Other structures: $30,000
Personal property: $150,000
Loss of use: $60,000
Liability: $300,000
Medical: $1,000
All rates based on the above coverage limits except where otherwise noted.
Some carriers may be represented by affiliates or subsidiaries. Rates provided are a sample of costs. Your actual quotes may differ.